Although several documents linked from this page concentrate on the policies and
practices of a single non-profit affordable housing developer in Gresham, many
of the issues raised reflect my concerns for the "soft side" issues of
affordable housing. As someone who has been involved, in one way or another, in
the building trades, as a failed redeveloper, and as a City of Gresham delegate
to our Multnomah County Housing and Community Development Commission, I tend to
look at more sides of economic development than a simple bottom line, and other
aspects of affordable housing policies and practices beyond mere brick and
mortar considerations.

Some of the personal issues I bring to the discussion reflect my union activist
days as an apprentice teacher, long-time community mediator and community
organizer and my background as one of a tiny handful of building trades
activists pushing the traditional trades to include people of color and women at
a time when such organizing efforts directed towards the construction industry
were in their infancy. Though no longer active as a tradesperson, I cannot
forget the value of family-based living wage employment. Historically, my state
Oregon has had a horrible record of official discrimination and disparate
treatment of non-white, and non-Anglo Saxon cultures. That racist streak
continues today as we review the poor home ownership percentages to actual
percentage of African Americans and Spanish Native Language national groups in
our population even if one compares ownership figures with identical family
incomes across racial and cultural lines.

Each title is a link. Click anywhere
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